Air conditioner



Aug. 21, 1956 P. MANIscALco, SR

AIR CONDITIONER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 18, 1954 FIGZ FIG.I

FIGA

FIGB

INVENTOR: PIETRG MANISCALCO Aug- 21, 1 956 P. MANlscALco, SR 2,759,713

AIR CONDITIONER 'Filed June 18, 1954. z Sheets-Sheet 2 FIC-3.5

` INVENTOR.- Pas-:TRO MANlscALco ATT'YS United States Patent() AIR CONDITIONER Pietro Maniscalco, Sr., Chicago, Ill.

Application June 18, 1954, Serial No. 437,614

6 Claims. (Cl. 261-14) This invention relates to air conditioning apparatus and is in part a continuation of my co-pending application .Serial No. 294,952, filed June 21, 1952, and allowed February 1l, 1954, and now abandoned.

The main objects of the invention are lto provide an limprover form of portable air conditioner ythat is electrically operated and available for connection to an electrical outlet plug socket; to provide an improved construction Vfor apparatus of this kind for circulating the air of a room, 4and for controllably filtering, heating, humidifying, and :supplying the air with a vaporizing medicament; and to provide a device of this kind wherein any one of such functional uses can be made available alone or in combination with others, and that is also adapted for other related functional uses, such as the distribution of a fumigating agent.

Specific embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of `an air conditioning device constructed according to this invention for home and office use.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side eleva-tion of the inner housing partly broken away to show the arrangement of the spiral air vanes which cause the air from the blower to whirl about the heating element and take up moisture from the water tank.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section .taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, showing a bottom view of the air-guiding vanes.

Fig. 5 is a central vertical `section of a simplified air conditioner differing from Fig. 2 by the omission of certain parts.

Fig. 6 is a 'transverse section of the same taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section showing a further modification of the air passages within the housing.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 -to 4 of the drawings, the improved air conditioning device comprises an electric motor 10 having its axis vertically disposed and arranged to drive a blower fan 11 of the impeller type. 'Ilhe motor and fan are surrounded by a barrel-shaped housing shell 12 which is open at the bottom to -form an air duct having inlet openings 13 and 14 below the blower 11 and having outlet openings 15 that are directed yinwardly to produce a whirling air current at the upper end of the housing 12.

Supported central-ly within the upper part of the housing 12 is a tank 16 for water, or other liquid, at the top of which there is mounted an electric outlet socket 17 adapted for receiving the plug end of an incandescent heating element 18. The particular heating element shown is of a form readily available on the market and comprises a ceramic body 19 of inverted cone-shape upon which isy mounted a coil of resistance wire 20.

The main body portion of the housing 12 is enlarged in bulbous barrel-shaped fashion around the tank 16 so as to produce an unrestricted annular passage 21, which for some distance has about the same amount of air passage area as the lower inlet portion of the housing 12, but

which ltapers inward at its top portion to concentrate the air blast at the inwardly directed outlet openings 15.

r[lhe annular space lbetween the walls of the tank 16 and the housing 12 is equipped with vanes 22 that extend spirally around the tank 16 in a helicoidal direction so as to cause the air to issue through the outlet openings 15 in a direction nearly horizontal and tangential to the periphery of the conical surface 19 of the heating element, so that this air will take on a whirling motion about the heating element, part of it being deflected downwardly so as to form a vortex over the surface of the liquid in the tank 16; and part will be deflected upwardly through the outlet tube 23, as indicated by arrows in Fig. 2. The whirling air issuing from the tube 23 strikes the lower concave surface of the top member 24 where itis deflected downwardly and outwardly.

The portion of the yair that is deflected downwardly by the concial surface of the body 19 forms a vortex on the surface of the liquid in the tank 16 which facilitates the evaporation of the liquid to humidify the issuing air.

As an accessory to the main structure, the tube 23 is made removable and may have mounted thereon a container 25 for a vaporizable chemical when desired.

In the form shown, the housing 12 has an extended base 26 which has a crossbar or spider formation 27 on which the motor 1) and blower fan 11 are mounted. An air filter 28 is attached to the ybase 26 by means of a bolt 29 and wing nut 30.

Also attached to .the base 26 is an ornamental outer structure which is shown as a skeleton frame 31, supporting cylindrical grill panels 32 and the defieotor plate 24. The top plate 24 is readily removable and is equipped with a handle 33 so as to give convenient access to the heating element and interior of the tank 16. The frame 31 is equipped with a bail 34, whereby the device is readily carried. The ibase 26 is also provided with legs 35 that support the base clear ofthe fioor to allow the free flow of air to the inlet 13 and the lter 28.

Trhe tank 16 has an inlet and outlet pipe 36 which eX- tends outwa-rd beyond the grill 32 where it branches to provide a capped filler tube 37 that limits the liquid level in tank 16 and a drain pet cock 38.

'Ihe electrical connections are not shown in detail but are represented in the drawing by the conduc-tor cord 39, the fan switch 40 and the heater switch 41.

The air inlets 14 are controlled by a valve band 42 that is shiftable by means of a handle 43. When this valve band is in position for closing the inlets 14 all of the air entering the device will pass through the filter 28. In the event that there is no serious amount of dust in the air, the inlets 14 may be opened so that there will be a freer iiow of air due Ito the fac-t that it does not have to pass through the filter.

In warm weather, when it is merely desirable to circulate the air without heating it, the heater can be cut off by means of the switch 41. In seasons when heating of the air is required, the tank 16 is supplied with water from time to time as required and the air is adequately humidified by the vapors that are produced by the vortex of the heated air 0n the surface of the water.

The warm air passing over the container 25 serves to facilitate the vaporization of the contents thereof and this may be uesd for supplying the air with a mild amount of deodorant or other chemical. When, however, the device is used for fumigating a small compartment, then the fumigant is placed directly in the tank 16 so as to beI taken up by the whirling air and discharged into the room with or without the use of the heater as the nature of the fumigant may require.

In the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a modified form of the invention is shown in which the air movement is much-the same as that shown in Fig. 2. This form is employed for circulating and cleaning the air of a room u uder circumstances where the same apparatus is not called upon to heat the air. In this form the air issuing from the outlets strikes against the downwardly converging surface of the cone 44 somewhat tangentially, and is caused to whirl in vortex fashion against the surface 46 of the water in the tank 16 on its way to the outlet at the top of the housing 12. The cone 44 has a smooth exterior and is supported in the tank 16 by spider arms 45.

In the form in Fig. 7, the housing shell 47 is similar in form in its body portion to that of the shell 12 of the form shown in Fig. 2, and has its side walls extended upwardly and curled inwardly to form the conical outlet 48. Here, the air delivered from the spiral vanes is guided downward by the conical walls 48 so as to strike against the surface 46 of the water and then turn inwardly and passes upwardly toward and through the center opening 50 formed by the inwardly wall portions 48.

Although but certain specific modications of the invention are herein shown, it should be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as detined by the following claims.

I claim:

l. An air circulator comprising, an outer shell having an air inlet adjacent its base and with its top open to provide an air exhaust directly upward and outward to the ambient air, a blower mounted in the shell adjacently above the air inlet, an open-top water tank of a diameter materially less than the shell suspended in the shell above the blower with the tank open top disposed adjacently above the transverse median of the shell above the blower and providing an axially-(intending annular air-ow chamber between the shell and the tatnk, and an inverted conical-shaped detlector concentrically arranged within the shell intermediate the shell open top and the tank open top with the dellector base below the open top of the shell and its opposite end adjacent the open top of the tank, the deector serving to direct part of the air-flow upwardly through the air-dow chamber downwardly into the water tank to impinge on the surface of the water in the tank.

2` An air circulator comprising, an outer shell having an air inlet adjacent its base and with its top open to provide an air exhaust directly upward and outward to the ambient air, a lblower mounted in the shell adjacently above the air inlet, an open-top water tank o'f a diameter materially less than the shell suspended in the shell above the blower with the tank open top disposed adjacently above the transverse median of the shell above the blower and providing an axially-extending annular air-flow cehamber between the shell and the tank, an inverted conical-shaped deector concentrically arranged within the shell intermediate the shell open top and the tank open top with the deliector base below the open top of the shell and its opposite end adjacent the open top of the tank, the deflector serving to direct part of the air-llow upwardly through the air-How chamber downwardly into the water tatnk to impinge on the surface of the water in the tank, and a vane spirally disposed between the shell and tank to create a vortex in the air ow upwardly through the air-dow chamber.

3. An air circulator comprising, a bulbous-shaped outer shell having an air inlet adjacent its base and with its top open to provide an air exhaust directly upward and outward to the ambient air, a blower mounted in the Shell adjacently above the air inlet, a cylindrical-shaped spherical-bottomed open-top water tank of a diameter materially less than the shell suspended in the shell above the blower with the tank open top disposed adjacently above the transverse median of the shell above the blower and providing an axially-extending upwardly-converging annular air-dow chamber between the shell and the tank, and an inverted conical-shaped deflector concentrically arranged within the shell intermediate the shell open top and the tank open top with the deilector base below the open top of the shell and its opposite end adjacent the open top of the tank, the detlector serving to direct part of the air-flow upwardly through the air-flow chamber downwardly into the water tank to impinge on the surface of the water in the tank.

4. An air circulator comprising, an outer Shell having an air inlet adjacent its base and with its top open to provide an air exhaust directly upward and outward to the ambient air, a blower mounted in the shell adjacently above the air inlet, an open-top water tank of a diameter materially less than the shell suspended in the shell above the blower with the tank open top disposed adjacently above the transverse median of the shell above the blower and providing an axially-extending annular air-dow chamber between the shell and the tank, an inverted conicalshaped dellector concentrically arranged within the shell intermediate the shell open top and the tank open top with the deflector base below the open top of the shell and its opposite end adjacent the open top of the tank, the detlector serving to direct part of the air-llow upwardly through the air-ow chamber downwardly into the water tank to impinge on the surface of the water in the tank, a partially-open-side cylindrical frame concentrically arranged around the shell and providing a base support for the shell, and a delector top member mounted on the upper end of the frame in axially-spaced relationship to the open top shell.

5. An air conditioner, comprising a water tank, a heating element above said tank and including a downwardly converging conical dellector having a heating coil on its periphery, a blower below said tank, an outer shell forming an air duct leading from said blower concentrically with said tank and heating element, the walls of said shell being curved inwardly adjacent to said heating element to a contracted outlet above said deector so as to direct the air substantially horizontally against said deector, a spiral vane in said shell to whirl the air about said detlector, and a iller pipe leading from said tank outward of said shell and having a riser terminating below the level of the top of said tank.

6. An air conditioner, comprising a water tank, a heating element above said tank and including a downwardly converging conical dellector having a heating coil on its periphery, a liquid receptacle for liquid above said heating element, a blower below said tank, an outer shell forming an air duct leading from said blower concentrically with said .tank and heating element, the walls of said shell being curved inwardly adjacent to said heating element to a contracted outlet above said deector so as to direct the air substantially horizontally against said dellector, -a spiral vane in said shell to whirl the air about said deector and a ller pipe leading from said tank outward of said .shell and having a riser terminating below the level of the top of said tank.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 938,356 Wait Oct. 26, 1909 1,013,368 Blomfeldt Ian. 2, 1912 1,900,956 Somersall Mar. 14, 1933 2,006,858 Favalora Iuly 2, 1935 2,043,647 Berven .Tune 9, 1936 2,059,408 Stark Nov. 3, 1936 

